Today I will give you my Top 10 snacks for those with diabetes Insulin Resistance Diet. This is one of the most comprehensive diabetes meal planning site you can find. It contains diabetes friendly meals/recipes, recipes for different goals such as 800-1800 calories per day meal plan, diabetes meal planning tips and tricks. There are also tons of diabetes friendly recipes for everyone!
Let’s face it. One of the main problems those of us with diabetes have is our hunger and trying to find those in between meal snacks that are satisfying and taste good while also helping us maintain our blood sugar. When it comes to snacks, or any food for that matter, I always look at the Glycemic Load. There are those who will tell you that the Glycemic Index is what matters, but the glycemic index doesn’t really give you a complete understanding of what a particular food will do to your blood sugar. It simply gives you a number based on 50 carbs of a specific food. The glycemic load takes into account what type of carb we are dealing with and how it truly affects your blood sugar postprandial. I say this so that if you see a food on my list of best snacks and on another “experts” list it is on a list of worst snacks, you will know why. I will give you both the GI and GL of each food on this list. I also do not put my lists in any type of order. So here we go:Insulin Resistance Diet
1. Popcorn. This is a food you will probably see on some worst
snacks list because the GI is a medium 55. But the glycemic load of popcorn is
a very low 2.8. In its unprocessed form, popcorn is consider significant source
of whole-grain fiber. I love popcorn for……..breakfast! Yes, popcorn with a
little sucrose and 2%milk is a wonderful cereal. You may think I am crazy, fair
enough, but try it. It truly is a great snack for anytime. Not just when
watching a movie. A small microwave bag is the perfect size for a good snack.
2. Greek Yogurt. Greek Yogurt is rich in calcium, high in
protein and probiotics. There are few foods healthier than Greek yogurt. They
do have some carbs, but they aren’t significant. Greek only has about 4 grams
of sugar per6 ounce serving. Greek yogurt contains significant amounts of
potassium, calcium and magnesium, which is shown to improve blood pressure.
Calcium, phosphorous and magnesium are important in bone health also. The GI of
Greek yogurt is 11, the GL is zero. Put some strawberries and walnuts in a cup of
Greek yogurt and you are going to thank me later!
3. Walnuts. Speaking
of walnuts. I am convinced walnuts are the overall best food for you. I know
they are expensive, that’s why when I can find them on sale or buy them in
bulk, I will jump at the chance. Stored properly they can last a while. Walnuts
have a GI and GL of zero meaning that hey have no significant effect on raising
blood sugar, they are extremely heart healthy and they also contain copper,
manganese, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6. Plus they are super rich in omega 3 fatty
acids. 4. Strawberries/Blueberries. Strawberries –A great alternative to those with
a sweet tooth is strawberries. They are sweet, low in calories and make eat snack. Several human studies have
established that people who eat plenty of berries, such as strawberries and
blueberries, have a lower risk of both diabetes, heart attacks and dementia.
Studies have also linked the high vitamin C content of strawberries to a lower
risk of type 2 diabetes. One cup of fresh strawberries provides 160percent of
your daily need of vitamin C. Want a
really good snack? Blend fresh or frozen strawberries and/or blueberries into a
smoothie. Both strawberries and blueberries have a low GI in the low 40’s as an
average. They have an average GL of 4.
5. Peanut butter. Has
anyone ever told you that someone with diabetes shouldn’t eat peanut butter?
Tell them they are nuts. Peanut butter has a glycemic index of 14 and a
glycemic load of 6. This low ranking means peanut butter helps stabilize blood
sugar and insulin levels. Yes, they have a lot of calories and you will see
several carbs on the label. But a tablespoon full of peanut butter is an
amazing snack to fill you up. Peanut butter is is very low in Cholesterol. It
is also a good source of Niacin and Manganese.
6. Apples. I know, another fruit, but a small apple (about the
size of a tennis ball) delivers 77 calories, 21 grams of carbohydrate and 4
grams of fiber. It's also a good source of vitamin C and has a smattering of
other vitamins and minerals. The main benefit of an apple is the richness they
possess in soluble fiber. This fiber keeps you full and slows down the absorption
of sugar into your bloodstream helping regulate blood glucose levels. Apples
have a GI of 39 and a GL of 4.
7. A dark chocolate bar. Now hear me out! I know you are
thinking that I have lost my mind. Remember, I said DARK chocolate, not milk chocolate.
There is a huge difference. But listen to this, Italian researchers discovered that
health benefits of dark chocolate include significantly improved markers of
insulin sensitivity, decreasing fasting insulin and glucose levels, as well as
insulin and glucose responses to the glucose tolerance test. But there is a
small catch. You are looking for high-quality dark chocolate bars that contain
70 percent cocoa or more. The higher the better. A 70 percent cocoa bar like
Dove’s Dark Chocolate bar has a GI of 23 and a GL of 4.
8. Boiled eggs. Eggs are an amazing super food. Boiled eggs
are an amazing super snack. Boil up a half dozen or so and put them in the
fridge. They are awesome with just a LITTLE sea salt as a snack. Eggs are a
good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of
Protein and Selenium. They are also an excellent source of protein! The GI and
GL of eggs are both ZERO.
1 Comments
very nice post. helpful for many .
ReplyDeletethank you from MindCard